Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 901: Wrapping Up and the Personal Army

The quiet courtyard of the Cloud Ascendant Inn felt exceptionally still after Canghai and Tielan departed. Li Yu stood alone and he held the heavy dark token in his hand. The fierce insignia of the roaring beast felt cold against his palm. He had exactly two weeks to settle his affairs before he was taken to undergo the most brutal physical training of his life.He knew exactly where he needed to go first. Li Yu looked toward the shadows near the eastern wall of the courtyard. "You can come out now."

The ambient space rippled like disturbed water. Fenric and Oram stepped seamlessly out of the void. The two ancient Core Wardens bowed respectfully and a moment later the five elite shadow protectors materialized behind them. Winter, Autumn, Spring, Solstice and Summer dropped to one knee in perfect synchronization. They had watched the entire exchange with the titans and were still deeply rattled by the display of power they had witnessed.

"Grand Envoy." Fenric greeted him while keeping his head lowered. "How may we serve you?"

"I need to return to the Trial Grounds." Li Yu instructed them. "Take me back to The Veil. I have a few things I need to wrap up there before I leave for my training."

"It will be done." Oram agreed without a shred of hesitation.

The Eidolon experts did not ask questions, it wasn’t their place to. Fenric raised his armored hand and channeled a dense surge of soul Qi. He grabbed the fabric of space and tore it open with terrifying ease. The jagged rift revealed the chaotic currents of the cosmic void and Li Yu stepped through the portal with his seven protectors following closely behind him.

The journey across the distance was instantaneous. The wardens bypassed the standard cosmic routes and cut directly through. They emerged from the void and stepped onto the polished white stone of Kyokai City.

Li Yu looked up and expected to see a transformed world. He expected the shattered sky to be mended and the bleeding fault lines to be closed. Instead the heavens above The Veil looked exactly the same. The massive jagged cracks still glowed with a sickly purple light and the severed spiritual veins continued to hang down like dying roots.

He frowned in slight confusion. The Eidolon Court had promised the Realm Essence and they were people who kept their rigid bargains. He wondered if something had gone wrong with the delivery.

Then the realization washed over him. His sense of time was completely distorted.

He had wandered the Ferine Realm alongside Zhan and Talia but in the present time that entire experience had only lasted five minutes. It had barely been a few days since Torend and the Eidolon delegation delivered the Realm Essence.

Restoring a dying world was not a simple task that happened overnight. Healing the foundational core of a realm and mending a shattered sky would take years or perhaps decades of careful integration. He smiled softly at his own flawed perception and began walking through the familiar streets of the city.

The Eidolon guards melted into the shadows and followed him silently from the periphery.

Li Yu navigated the winding silver canals and the glowing red paper lanterns until he reached the towering white marble structure of the Pagoda of the First Echo. He pushed the heavy wooden doors open and stepped into the endless expanse of dark space.

The pale ethereal mist parted instantly and the massive spinning astrolabe descended from the darkness above. The intricate rings of Astramentis clicked and rotated with a bright and vibrant golden light. The artifact sensed his arrival back here immediately.

"Welcome back, Li Yu." Astramentis resonated in his mind. The layered voice sounded stronger and more vibrant than it had in a very long time. "Your presence brings warmth to this sanctuary."

"It is good to see you as well." Li Yu offered a brief bow to the artifact.

A moment later the space beside him rippled. Old Du stepped out of the mist holding his worn wooden paddle. The ferryman looked incredibly tired but the heavy sorrow that usually haunted his dark eyes was mostly gone. He looked like a man who had finally set down a mountain he had been carrying for thousands of years.

Old Du planted his paddle on the marble floor and offered Li Yu a deep and formal bow.

"We cannot thank you enough, Li Yu." Old Du said. "The Eidolon Court delivered the Realm Essence as promised. Our elders have already begun the integration process at the deep core. In time the spiritual veins will stabilize. You have given our home a true future to look forward to."

"I am glad it worked out." Li Yu replied with a sincere smile. He had walked away from the initial Eidolon offer but fate had forced his hand and brought salvation to The Veil regardless. "But I did not come here to receive thanks. I came to tell you my plans."

Astramentis slowed its spinning rings to listen.

"I have been offered a unique opportunity." Li Yu explained. "An elder from a powerful legion has agreed to send me to their specialized training camp. It is a great opportunity to temper my physical body and receive additional training. I will be leaving the Trial Grounds to train there and I do not know when I will return. I will not be participating in the pagoda trials for quite some time."

Old Du nodded slowly and showed no signs of disappointment. "Everyone has their own path to the peak. The trials here are designed to forge the soul but a strong vessel is just as important. We understand completely."

"Do not worry about the trials." Astramentis chimed in with its glowing light pulsing warmly. "You have already done more for this realm than any candidate in our history. You have earned your place here anytime you choose to visit us."

Old Du reached into his tattered grey robes and he pulled out a flawless crystalline box that radiated a suffocating density of pure soul energy.

"Please take this before you go." Old Du offered the box. "It contains our highest grade soul crystals. It will aid your foundation immensely while you undergo your physical tempering."

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Li Yu looked at the glowing box and gently pushed Old Du's hand away.

"I appreciate the offer but I cannot accept it." Li Yu said firmly. "I did not earn those resources through the pagoda trials. Furthermore, you need every single drop of energy you possess to properly integrate the Realm Essence and heal your realm. Do not waste your foundation on me. Save it for your people and your future."

Old Du looked at the young man and a respect settled in his eyes. He slowly withdrew the box and tucked it back into his robes.

"You are an honorable person, Li Yu." Old Du praised him quietly. "The doors of The Veil will always be open to you. Whenever you wish to return, you will be welcomed as one of our own."

Li Yu said his final goodbyes to the ferryman and the ancient astrolabe. He turned and left the Pagoda of the First Echo. He felt a sense of closure regarding his time with the artifact. He had arrived as a candidate and he was leaving as a pillar of their history.

He walked across the city and headed straight toward the medical district. The familiar scent of dried spiritual roots and clean linen filled the air as he approached the Ward of Tranquility. He pushed the sliding wooden doors open and stepped into the hushed pavilion.

Elder Vaelin was organizing a row of jade vials on a long wooden table. She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the visitor. She immediately dropped her hands to her sides and offered a deep respectful bow.

"Warden." Elder Vaelin greeted him formally.

Li Yu possessed the high title of Warden of the Veil due to his massive contributions. His authority within the city was only below the absolute leaders of the Veil.

"Please stand, Elder." Li Yu requested gently. "There is no need for such formalities. I am just here to visit my friends."

Elder Vaelin smiled and straightened her posture. "They are in the private alcove in the back. She is doing exceptionally well."

Li Yu walked past the main seating area and slid the paper screen open.

The private alcove was warm and peaceful. Sora was sitting up on the jade healing bed. Her silver fur had regained its brilliant luster and the dullness in her eyes was completely gone. She looked healthy and vibrant. Daiki was sitting on a sturdy wooden stool right beside her. The giant crimson demon was holding a small bowl of spiritual broth and carefully feeding it to her.

They both looked up as the screen opened.

"Li Yu!" Daiki grinned broadly and his golden eyes lit up with joy. He set the bowl down on a small table. "It is good to see you."

Sora offered a warm and respectful nod. "Thank you for coming, Li Yu. And thank you for everything you did to help secure the medicine. Daiki told me about the journey you two shared."

"You did the hard work by surviving and Daiki did the hard work by fighting. I did not do much in comparison, I am ashamed to say." Li Yu smiled as he walked into the alcove and took a seat on a nearby chair. "I am just glad to see you awake and recovering."

They spent the next hour talking about lighthearted things. Daiki shared stories about the chaotic politics of the Blood Iron Clan that he had learned and Sora spoke of the quiet winds of her home world. They laughed and enjoyed the rare tranquility.

Eventually the conversation lulled and Li Yu decided it was time to share his news.

"I came to say goodbye." Li Yu announced quietly.

Daiki paused and looked at him closely. "Where are you going?"

"I found an opportunity to undergo severe physical training." Li Yu explained while keeping the details incredibly vague. He did not mention the Eidolon Court or the supreme commanders or the fact that he currently had seven ancient experts hiding in the shadows outside the ward.

"I need to temper my body more and it is a good opportunity to get real lessons. I will be leaving the Trial Grounds and I do not know when I will be back."

Daiki nodded in immediate understanding. He was a warrior who respected the pursuit of strength and one’s own path. He knew that cultivation was a lonely road that required immense sacrifice.

"Everyone has their own path in cultivation." Daiki said with a supportive smile. He reached out and offered his massive crimson hand. "I know you will secure yours. We will see each other again when fate allows it."

Li Yu grasped the demon's hand firmly. "I look forward to it."

"May the winds guide your steps." Sora added softly.

They did not dwell on the sadness of parting. Cultivators at their level lived for thousands of years and brief separations were a natural part of their existence. They spent the remainder of the afternoon together as they shared stories and enjoyed what little time Li Yu had left in Kyokai City.

Far away from the peaceful silver canals of The Veil, a harsh and unforgiving wind howled across a desolate landscape.

The training realm was a brutal world defined by towering jagged rocks and endless stretches of barren earth. The sky was a muted grey and the air was thick with abrasive dust. It was the perfect environment to break a cultivator down and rebuild them from scratch.

Near the edge of the sprawling military camp, Zhan Tielan stood on a high stone ridge. She wore her elegant dark armor and her expression was a mask of cold authority. She looked down at the massive training grounds where thousands of recruits were currently hauling boulders across a field of jagged spikes.

Heavy footsteps crunched against the gravel behind her.

Lei Gang approached his commander. He was a middle aged man with a towering frame that cast a massive shadow over the ridge. He was a mountain of a man with arms that were thick with corded muscle and mapped with the pale white scars of countless battles. He wore simple iron bracers and dark trousers. He carried the suffocating aura of a seasoned slaughterer who had broken entire armies with his bare hands.

"Commander." Lei Gang greeted her with a sharp salute. His voice was a deep gravelly rumble that matched his intimidating physique.

"Stand at ease Lei Gang." Tielan instructed him without turning around. She kept her eyes on the struggling recruits below. "I have a new task for you. A new recruit will be joining the camp in exactly two weeks."

Lei Gang lowered his hand and frowned in visible confusion. He stepped up beside her and looked down at the fields.

"A new recruit?" Lei Gang asked while crossing his massive arms over his broad chest. "The current training cycle is already midway through its phase. We do not accept late arrivals. Furthermore, we just finalized the roster. We never trained anyone from the outside before."

The camp was highly exclusive and it was utilized strictly to forge the elite soldiers of Zhan Tielan’s own forces. The only individuals allowed to train here who were not officially enlisting in the army were direct descendants of the Zhan Clan. They used the brutal environment for their physical tempering but even they had to follow the strict scheduling protocols.

"This is an exception." Tielan stated firmly. Her tone left absolutely no room for debate.

Lei Gang looked at his commander. He had fought beside Zhan Tielan for thousands of years and they were close friends who had bled together on the front lines but he still respected the hierarchy of command. He knew she was a strict disciplinarian who despised breaking the rules. For her to bypass the recruitment cycle and demand a late entry meant this individual was incredibly important.

"Who is this outsider?" Lei Gang asked cautiously. "Is he a hidden talent from the main family?"

Tielan finally turned her head to look at her chief instructor. Her eyes were sharp and uncompromising.

"It does not matter where he comes from." Tielan corrected him. This army was the personal army of Zhan Tielan, the very same army that she led in the rescue mission for Li Canghai. It was an army where every single member was soul oathed to never betray her.